iPhone365 #162: the cockhouse

Walking aimlessly around the Mall of Asia with Michael, my sister and brother-in-law looking for a good place to eat, I saw a store that reminded me how much sabong is part of Filipino life. The Cockhouse sells everything related to the sport of cockfighting: from feeds to vitamins to souvenir shirts. No dirty videos here, thank you.
~

iPhone365 #161: twinkle, twinkle

We decided to walk over to my cousin's house for dinner. Along the streets are now rows and rows of parol (lanterns), signaling the coming Christmas season.
~

iPhone365 #160: bright spot

Each time I come out of the house we're staying in, I see this bright spot among the greens growing by a concrete wall along the driveway.
~

iPhone365 #159: to go or not to go

I thought I needed a haircut but when we got to the hair salon, I thought well, it can wait...
~

iPhone365 #158: thanksgiving

Roasted chicken was the closest thing to turkey that we could find, as Thanksgiving is not a holiday in the Philippines and turkey is not a popular poultry meat. Stores, however, were having Thanksgiving sales in the mall.

So, turkey or chicken, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
~

iPhone365 #157: drive-by shopping

On our way home from Alfonso, Cavite, my mom decided to shop for some ornamentals in Silang. Instead of walking the length of all the plant shops lining the Tagaytay road, we had the van drive slowly on the shoulder while she looked at the plants on display.
~

iPhone365 #156: juxtaposition

A semi-permanent house/store across the street from SM City, one of the busiest shopping malls in the area, provides an interesting illustration of the stark contrast between two different layers of the Philippine economy.
~

iPhone365 #155: durian

I have never tasted durian before. Today was the first day I actually held one in my hands at SM Supermarket. It's supposed to be really smelly, but I couldn't smell anything through the leathery, spiny skin. I think I'll get one the next time I go.
~

iPhone365 #154: cold drink

Tired from the trip at the mall, Julia preferred her mom's berry cream frap over her orange juice at Starbucks.
~

iPhone365 #153: penny

Penny, my mom's dog, must have sensed that I miss my dog Eli. She has stayed by my side since the day I arrived.
~

iPhone365 #152: manila bay on stilts

My dad, Michael, and I went for a walk early this morning at Island Cove, a resort park a couple of miles down the road from my parents' house. Before leaving, we walked over to the Fishing Village, an area of the park with cottages built on stilts where one can eat and fish at the same time. Michael was a little nervous walking on the bamboo slats -- it can be unnerving when you can see the water below through the floor.
~

iPhone365 #151: learning the ropes

Here is my precocious niece trying to learn how to use the garden hose from my mom. Actually she was just scheming so she could play with the water.

Although we Asians all look alike (not really), I'd like to point out that the hats are not Filipino. They came from Vietnam. The Filipino version, the salakot, is broader and as a shallower profile.
~

iPhone365 #150: rice cakes

I was pleasantly surprised to find that bibingka is now readily available any day of the year. We used to have to wait for the Christmas season for local folks to bake and sell these things. These days one only has to go to the mall to get these once-seasonal delicacies.
~

iPhone365 #149: in-country

We arrived at 4:20 a.m., an hour early, thanks to the October time-change in the US. After a two-hour wait for our luggage to come out, my parents shuttle us over to breakfast at the Pancake House, a great transition spot because the place offers both pancakes and daing na bangus on fried rice.
~

iPhone365 #148: lost day

As far as my calendar is concerned, November 16, 2009 will be a day lost forever. A skip. A blank. A nonexistent. A no-mark. And it is lost while I sit inside this big metal cylinder hurtling in the darkness somewhere between the sea and sky.
~

iPhone365 #147: travel day

Starting our 14-plus-hour journey on dependable Southwest Airlines in San Diego to catch our international flight in San Francisco.
~

iPhone365 #146: errands

We are driving around town doing some last-minute shopping and errands before our travel day tomorrow.
~

iPhone365 #145: beach park

I went to Mission Beach to grab a few souvenir shirts to take to the Philippines. The park was empty except for a few tourist families making the most of the warm fall weather. The screams coming from the roller coaster, instead of lightening the mood, simply punctuated the emptiness of the place. It seems even the land of perpetual summer needs a break.
~

iPhone365 #144: uneventful

Other than the usual office drama, nothing remarkable happened today. That may be remarkable in itself.
~

iPhone365 #143: veterans day

I went to work today. My coworker said companies should give veterans a paid day-off today. I agree wholeheartedly. I told her I'll ask the CEO the next time I chat with him.
~

iPhone365 #142: hot day

Too chilly in the shade, too hot in the sun. Where does one eat his lunch?
~

iPhone365 #141: berlin wall

Twenty years ago today, East Germans were allowed to cross the Berlin Wall. This piece of concrete came from that wall. I'm sure it came from the western face of the wall because of the paint: that side was covered with art; the eastern side, bare and plain.




(Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Berlinermauer.jpg)

iPhone365 #140: ivory

I briefly checked tonight if I can still play. I can.
~

iPhone365 #139: angel

An early morning reminder of angels around us.
~

iPhone365 #138: berries

The air is crisper. The evenings are cooler. The leaves are turning... well, not really. Not in San Diego anyway. But summer is definitely over. My "cold weather" wreath is now hanging on the front door. Is it a Thanksgiving wreath? No. Is it a Christmas wreath? No, although it looks like one. It's just nice to have something bright like red berries hanging on the door to greet you when you get home in the dark early evenings.
~

iPhone365 #137: morning drink

Is tea better than coffee in the morning?
~

iPhone365 #136: convention center

Someone once told me that the San Diego convention center looks like some kind of a spaceship with sails (or tents?) on top. I was there this morning for a work event and, looking around, I thought he might be right.
~

iPhone365 #135: late lunch

I didn't quite get to my "lunch hunger" until very late, and then got a big craving for Nico's quesadilla. Now I stand here and wait while they melt cheese in a giant tortilla.
~

iPhone365 #134: clear morning

If the clocks weren't rolled back an hour yesterday, I would have missed this clear and crisp November dawn. I'm up early to take Michael to the airport, and it's only on days like this that I get to enjoy such a view.
~

iPhone365 #133: stowing stuff

Hauling halloween junk and a few other things back to storage.
~